MLB.com's Greg Johns blogs about the Mariners. You can also follow him on Twitter @gregjohnsmlb.

Gutierrez flies to Florida to be with injured father-in-law

Mariners center fielder Franklin Gutierrez flew to Florida on Thursday with his wife, Vivian, to visit her father in the hospital after he was struck in the face by a line drive while coaching for the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday.

Gutierrez’s father-in-law is Luis Salazar, a former Major League infielder who suffered multiple facial fractures when a ball hit by Brian McCann caught him flush in the face while standing on the top step in the first-base dugout.

Salazar, 54, was airlifted to Orlando Regional Medical Center. He is a Minor League coach for the Braves.

Gutierrez will miss the next two Mariners games, but is expected to rejoin the club Friday night. The Gold Glove outfielder missed several days of camp earlier when he flew to Seattle to have a lingering stomach issue checked out, but has been playing regularly ever since and has hit .308 in 13 at-bats.

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